Let’s Help a BB&W Youngin’ Go Overseas!!

May 31, 2013 | Christelyn Karazin |

I got this note from my little friend, Imani:

Hey everyone,

My name is Imani and I am from Brooklyn, New York. I go to a tiny liberal arts school in central Minnesota called College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, where I am currently a rising junior. I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. It isn’t easy adjusting to small town living coming from a huge city. But now I have an amazing opportunity to go inhabit a big city once again! Any of my friends or family can tell you that I have an obsession with Europe, not just Europe but the UK in particular. Luckily I know get to go to Europe because I got accepted into the London Study Abroad Program. In this study abroad program I will be learning about the church in England, and hopefully get into a sociology class. I am really interested in the Jamaican influence on London and its culture.

One of my goals is to one day live in London or in the UK in general and become a psychologist. Now, most of you know that London is pretty pricey, this study abroad program cost about 10,000 US dollars. I managed to cover about 6,000 dollars in cost with financial aid, but I need about 4,000 dollars more. I currently have a summer job on campus, but I have to pay rent for summer housing and buy my own food which cuts a huge chunk out of my paycheck. So I decided that if I really want this, I have to put myself out there and start to fund raise money for my future. This is where you guys come in! I am looking to fund raise at least 2,000 dollars for my trip. You can go to this website:http://www.gofundme.com/32u94c and donate money. Small donations are greatly appreciated, they add up! Once again, thank you so much. This site has taught me the importance of travel and I have read so many travel blogs here about the wonderful experiences that you women have had. I plan on blogging as well about my trip and other endeavors when I come back. I am so excited!

——-

Note from BB&W: We here at Beyond Black & White believe in just paying lip service about the betterment of black women, we galvanize! BB&W will donate $75 toward Imani’s trip, and we hope that you will contribute as well. Imani has been a loyal reader for years–she grew up here. Let’s send our kid off into the world so she can live the life we preach!

Europe is really different from the US. There’s very little prejudice against blacks as there is here. They got rid of slavery long before we did. And don’t be surprised if a bunch of WM buzz around you. BW are very popular over there. I think I can send a few dollars to a girl who want to travel and study in Europe. I hope you find a great guy there, too.

Ive been overseas and few times and its great- Ill be sending a few bucks your way..

ahippieinholland

I am a woman of colour living in the heart of Western Europe. Very happy to hear that you have decided to step out and see the world. I did the same a few years back and never regretted it. I would like to add my two bits to what FriendsofJay wrote because I think that, though well-meant, what he wrote is misleading and totally wrong. Europe is really different from the US and from the America’s in general. Prejudice against blacks exits. It is just expressed differently. In your day-to-day life, you will likely not experience prejudice, racism, but it can happen. Even when you live in European countries where slavery was never a part of the history, discrimination of The Other exists. You may have to deal with backwards/ignorant ideas as well, so be prepared for it, especially since you’re American. You will be in the UK as a temporary visitory, so there is a great possibility that some of these unsavory things will not touch your life. You will have a great time, and you will not regret taking your study abroad trip. Don’t focus on racism/discrimination, but don’t be naive or allow anyone to mislead you about what Europe is/isn’t. I will make a donation on your website.

FriendsofJay

@ahippieinholland Well, I guess Europe has changed since the last time I was there (ten years ago). I’m sorry to hear it. Hopefully Imani will be treated well and enjoy her trip. I will say, though, that France is very welcoming to black men and women——and they love jazz music and adore black musicians who come to their county to play it. At least I hope France hasn’t changed.

Done! I’m more than happy to contribute. As far as I’m concerned, investing in her dream is like investing in my own. We can’t be any more successful than we are willing to see someone else succeed. I pray her Godspeed. Woot Woot!

Apparently there’s some kind of error with the donation app on the page. 🙁

I’ll check back later. Best wishes anyway!

AminahMatthews

@FriendsofJay Its possible France might be changing A LITTLE… maybe, I don’t know. But the reason why I say this is because they wouldn’t let The movie “Think like a man Act like a woman” play their for some reason. *shrug*

Hey, kid, go for it! London can be wonderful, as can the whole of that part of the world. Oddly enough, as I type this, I am on my second vacation in Ireland and having a fantastic time! I started out with three days in Dublin on my own, just walking about Grafton Street with its buskers of all types, O’Connell Street/Bridge with its fabulous view of the Liffey, the Temple Bar area, where all the action is (lol!), and a host of side streets steeped in history (and rubbish on the ground, too, to be perfectly honest). And an extended stay with a local musician pal of mine in the southern part of the country (County Tipperary) has given me the chance to sit in on “sessions” with him and his other mates, who are also fine musicians. This is one of the best ways to get in touch with the “real” Ireland, the true culture of the place that has not been overtaken by American media and consumerism (yes, even in a recession, and Ireland has been hit massively hard, the pressure towards consumerism is rampant). Only thing is you’ll be goaded into singing as well if you’re sitting in, because that’s how it’s done. Everyone either offers up a song, or you’re asked to sing one. If you hit Ireland or, better yet, any Irish pubs in London, brush up on your singing skills, and be sure to know the words cold, lol! But if so, and you “give it a lash” as the locals say, the men will worship at your feet and load heaps of praise on you and your beautiful voice. Be careful though: that kind of thing is used as an aphrodisiac as well, lol! It can be hard to resist a good looking Irish man, especially one that knows his way around the compliments, and for them it can be hard to resist a lovely lady who can sing. And black musical culture–American, Jamaican, African–is adored in Ireland. I sang a gospel song that I learned from a Sam Cooke record as a child, and all the noise in the pub stopped. Seriously, just stopped. Wonderful stuff!

So, keep pushing for London, and make it happen. Once you’re there, ferry rides, short plane trips, and train trips can be arranged so that you’re able to travel freely and experience as much of the different cultures, history, accents, and landscapes you can. And the folks you’ll meet you may just come to love (and vice versa). Good luck!!!

PS. Scotland is absolutely stunning. Couldn’t leave that out. My peeps over there would never forgive me, lol!

dani-BBW

Great dreams!! Would love to help, I spent a summer BROKE in Holland during college and was existing on soups I made from scratch with food from street markets I could buy cheap produce at. And I’m planning to visit the UK next year. I am not familiar with this platform though, what happens if all the money isn’t raised?

toichennell

This is so dope! -Gets out check card- The internet is amazing sometimes. I wish you all the best studying abroad!!

It’s run by the State Department so it is very legitimate- it’s a $5,000 grant for minority students who want to study abroad. I actually was awarded this scholarship when I studied abroad in the UK while at Bowdoin College and it helped a ton.

Also donating some money now. London is WONDERFUL…I hope she makes it!

Butterfly1010

She is adorable. I will contribute. They love black women in Paris. I did not really get approached in London as aggressively in Paris. But hey, a lot of British black women are married to white men.

MixedUpInVegas

Lemme throw some spare change in the pot and wish you much success, Imani. I spent quite a few years in Europe as a child and teenager. I loved it, and it changed my life for the better.

Of course, that was back in the Pleistocene Era . . . . .

ahippieinholland

@FriendsofJay You’re not wrong about the dating part. Getting a date in Europe (even in some of the most openly racist countries in Europe) is not really a problem. In fact, you can find yourself swiftly bedded and wedded over in this part of the world if you’re not careful. 🙂 But the ability to get a date is not related to the racial situation in the country. Actually, since people of different races have always been having relations with each other for centuries, despite illegality, social censure, etc., I would say that the ability oto get a date in a European country is a very poor indicator/benchmark of the racial situation in said country. In North America, everything’s out in the open, but in most western European countries, things are not as clear-cut.

Escapedthefoolishness

Good luck Imani! I’ve donated. My boyfriend and I were saying only this weekend that if we have a daughter (in future, with a ring on my finger of course!) that we’d call her Imani.

If Imani needs any contacts/advice/information/someone to talk to/meet up with in the UK then she is more than welcome to get in contact with me when she arrives. I just got back from a visit to Brooklyn, my sister lives in London and I know the city well. And my boyfriend has many single, handsome, gainfully employed friends who would love to meet a lovely young lady!

Brenda55

@Escapedthefoolishness
I just wanted to pop in here to tell you that you are one class act. Not only are you contributing to help make this young lady’s dream come true but you are going the extra mile to offer your personal assistance and act as match maker while she is there in London. What a great example for us all to follow.

Escapedthefoolishness

@Brenda55 @Escapedthefoolishness Thanks! I’m happy to support other young black women when I can. I know how hard it is moving to a new place and trying to figure things out.

KendraTaylor

I graduated from school a few months ago and still have that poor student label attached. Anywho, when I find money, I’ll donate! I think everyone should try and travel the world and learn about a variety of cultures. You only have one life to live, why not explore it and meet as many fantastic people as possible! Good luck Imani. If you travel to France, Greece (particularly Crete), Czech Republic, and Italy and need some help navigating and what hostels to stay at, food to try, understanding the metro lines, renting an apartment for a weekend, whatever, contact me!

So MnM12

all the best with your studies, imani. ask and you shall receive. all the best.

MySmile

I really hope you get to visit London and have a blast. I can’t wait to go in the near future! I would love to donate a few dollars to your cause…wish I could give more (fellow college student). How long do I have to donate?

My deposit went through! 🙂 Also, I just came across this website that helps people fund their travel, you might want to check this out…good luckhttp://www.fundmytravel.com

MichaelD2013

The UK is pretty I/R Friendly I’ve heard from friends staying there. One of my former girlfriends was a Ghanaian woman who lived in London for 12 years. The UK has it’s own problems but racism isn’t one of them. I lived in Spain for sometime and found racism and indifference there towards I/R dating. I experienced it 1st hand dating a Nigerian woman over there. It depends on the economic conditions and how the locals feel about Foreign Nationals at any given moment.

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